This invention relates to a novel, convenient and economic process for producing sodium cefoperazone. More particularly, it relates to the production of highly crystalline sodium cefoperazone.
Cefoperazone is a broad spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic usually administered parenterally as the sodium salt, which is provided by the available procedures (British Patent Specification No. 1,508,071) as an amorphous solid.
Amorphous compounds are, in general less desirable than are crystalline forms thereof, from the standpoint of preparation, storage and use. A crystalline compound is generally considerably more stable than an amorphous form of the compound, and resists decomposition and discoloration. For pharmaceutical use, it is much easier to prepare dosage forms from crystalline compounds than from those in amorphous form. Finally, amorphous compounds are frequently more hygroscopic than those in crystalline form.